Strike in US sports leagues: Now the NHL is also protesting

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Even before the strikes, there were anti-racism messages in the NHL

Athletes from four different US leagues went on strike on Wednesday. Athletes from the NBA basketball league, the WNBA basketball league for women, major league baseball and major league soccer drew attention to the recent violence by police officers against a black American with their protest. Of the major active US leagues, only the ice hockey league did not participate - until today.

The 29-year-old family man Jacob Blake was seriously injured on Sunday in the US state of Wisconsin by police gunshots in his back.

The NHL has postponed the playoff games scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Originally, four encounters should take place: The New York Islanders with the German national goalkeeper Thomas Greiss against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Vancouver Canucks against the Vegas Golden Nights, Tampa Bay against the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche against the Dallas Stars.

The games would be postponed because all the players in the eight teams "decided not to play in protest against systematic racism and police brutality," the NHL said.

The NHL decision was preceded by talks between the league and the players. The co-head of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, Evander Kane, had made a formal request from the group to the NHL to suspend all playoff games on Thursday. "We firmly believe that this sends a clear message that human rights have priority over sport," he wrote on Twitter.

The Hockey Diversity Alliance was founded in June after the death of the black American George Floyd by police violence in Minnesota by black players.

The wave of protests was triggered on Wednesday by the Milwaukee Bucks basketball players who did not play against the Orlando Magic. Tennis player Naomi Osaka initially canceled her semifinals at the tournament in New York in protest. In contrast, the NHL had played their Wednesday games.

ptz / dpa / sid